


Food Soul Biography: Lechon

by Soul_Chicken_Soup



Series: Food Soul OC Biographies [6]
Category: Food Fantasy (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Heaven Society, Identity Reveal, Past Abuse, Past Starvation, Pet Owner, Taverns
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-29
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-01-08 02:13:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21228089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Soul_Chicken_Soup/pseuds/Soul_Chicken_Soup
Summary: There's a tavern on the outskirts of a valley town, owned by a lone man with three pigs as the employees. A man with no name, his tavern is a successful tourist stop. All anyone knows is that the man is a pupil of the late, previous owner. The rest about this cheery person is a mystery.





	1. On the Rice

“Hope you come again!” 432 customers, crack of dawn to high noon. Not a new record, but more than average. And several new faces as well. Word of this tavern tucked in the outskirts of this valley town sure has spread over the past few months.

“Rollie, close the door, please.” The little roly-poly trots to the front and like the smart pig he is, he uses his hoof to slide the front door close.

“Good boy! Every one of you did an amazing job today! Rollie, Penny, Conner, time for break!” The three porkers run to behind the counter where I am plating some of the rice and topping it with corn, diced daikon, and tomatoes before placing it on the floor. Conner is the first to his meal since he needs a lot for him to grow, followed by Penny and Rollie. The hungry trio immediately start biting away at the rice.

Satisfied that they’re eating hearty, I take out what’s left of the noodles and add the beef broth with green onions, pieces of fried chicken and then crack an egg over all of it. I also take out some of the salted edamame along with a small bottle of sake and sit at the bar.

The corns noodles that I have used today adds a different texture to the ramen dish, but it’s not a bad texture. The customers earlier don’t have a complaint about the noodles. I’ll have to set up another pot so that people can choose which noodle they want.

A rapping at the front door makes the piglets jump, and I have to look over the counter to where they are to signal them to be silent. I fix the hat I have on my head and stand up from the bar. The knocking gets more aggressive, more frantic, and I hurry to the door.

“Please, someone in there! Open up!” At the panicked woman’s voice, I snap the door open, startling a young girl with ram horns with a boy on her back.

“Tell me that is a place to eat! My companion collapsed, and my healing power isn’t enough!”

The boy is very pale, and his breathing is erratic. This is definitely serious.

I usher the girl inside before carrying the boy in my arms to one of the kotatsu booths. He’s so cold in my arms, and he’s shivering. How high up the valley do these two come from?

“There’s rice bowls behind the counter and green tea in the kettle,” I tell the girl. “We need to give him something warm and easy to eat.”

“Okay!” The blonde girl runs to the counter, where she yelps and jumps back in surprise. Following that is a series of squeals.

“Oh, careful of my pigs. They’re really harmless.”

Even though the kotatsu are not needed around this time of year, this boy definitely needs to get warm or his condition can get worse. The kotatsu heats up quickly and I make sure that his head is propped up with a fresh pillow. The girl comes over with a bowl of hot rice and the tea already in it. Topped on it is green onion and pickled plums.

“You know your seasonings,” I comment. She doesn’t, sitting next to the food and spoon feeding him the ochazuke slowly. My little friends come over and watch attentively, huddling around my legs.

The atmosphere in the tavern is thick as we wait for the boy to show some recover. Conner stands up suddenly and trots up to the boy.

“Conner, come back here…!” That baby swine completely ignores me and moves past the girl to rub his snout against the boy’s cheek.

There’s a small squeak that makes my ears twitch under my hat, because it doesn’t sound like Conner’s little squeaks. The boy finally opens his eyes, and after a few blinks register that a pig is in his face.

His face instantly pales as soon as color returns to it, and I crawl over to pick up Conner.

“I’m sorry. Conner here wanted to be sure you’re okay.”

“Yogurt, where are we?” the boy asks the girl, not noticing me right away.

“A tavern, I think, by the foot of the valley,” Yogurt, a Food Soul I finally realize, answers in a soft voice. The look of relief on her face is sign enough that he’s feeling better already. “This man was nice enough to let us in. You were dehydrated and cold. That would be my fault.”

“Are you both Food Souls?” I ask. Both of them turn to me, with Conner trying to wiggle out of my arms. Before either of them answer, I feel two pairs of teeth on me.

“OWIEE!” Rollie! Penny! Why dare you biting on my tail?!

Tiny piggy hooves follow the biting, tackling me to the ground and allowing Conner to escape. Then, I feel my hat being pulled off, exposing my ears to the air. What are you three doing?!

“You have pig ears! And a tail!” the boy gasps, instantly sitting up in the kotatsu.

“Goodness, I’ve only seen a few cases of this,” Yogurt comments, using the arm length between us to touch one of my tender ears. It feels so foreign to have someone touch my secrets. “Why were you trying to hide these?”

I bite on my tongue, too nervous to answer. I have never felt this exposed in a long time, and I can’t tell these two strangers about my reasons.

“Yogurt, he obviously doesn’t want to talk about it,” the boy tells his companion. My little friends then think it’s a good time to crowd the two. Conner is clearly taken with the boy, and now that it’s not sudden, he picks the piglet up.

“Salad, are you sure you’re feeling better?” Yogurt asks.

“I’m alright now.” The boy, Salad, looks towards me. “Thank you for opening your door for us, um…” He frowns, realizing that he doesn’t have my name.

“It’s Lechon,” I admit, since they now know that I’m a Food Soul just like them.

“Mister Lechon, thank you.”

I guess… being exposed isn’t that bad, if these two are okay with it.


	2. Found

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning: A bit darker.

Salad and Yogurt stop by every now and then, usually after the rush hour. The two help me close down when they’re still here two hours after sunset. Yogurt will then insist that I take off the hat and apron to reveal my features, which I oblige just because I know they won’t tell a soul.

“Oh, s-sorry, but this place is closing down for the night,” I hear Salad tell someone who must be at the door. I secure my hat back on quickly in case the patrons come in anyway. Sure enough, they do, four people wearing hoods. As soon as Penny sees them, she squeals and runs to the back of the counter.

“I’m sorry if you’ve come a long way, but we are now closed until dawn,” I tell the four. “Please, stop by tomorrow if you are here to dine. The inn in town is not far from here.”

Despite my suggestions, the mysterious people sit down at the bar.

"Sake for two and vodka for two,” one of the trespassers orders. I have half a mind to tell them off or tell Salad to get the militia, but I hold my tongue and go through with the order.

Something about these people send chills down my spine, stirring up bad memories in me.

“You wouldn’t happen to have any pork products, do you?” another person asks. “One of us aren’t allowed to eat pig.”

“None of the items in this tavern have any trace of pork or bacon,” I answer as I am pouring the vodka. “I don’t allow such stuff in my establishment.”

“You know, this place was pretty hard to find,” another man comments. “And it was much harder to find you off all people… porky.”

The rock glass in my hand slips out in my moment of horror, shattering on the ground and sending vodka all over my feet. The tavern instantly goes quiet, and panic builds up in my stomach with my heart hammering against my ribs.

A series of squealing cries and chairs scraping against the floor snap me out of my terror, and I see the four men fall over. Piggies to the rescue, I believe for that brief moment.

“Yogurt, Salad, run!” I yell, quickly grabbing the closest metal object to me and running to the door. The two don’t hesitate, and they quickly follow behind me. I look behind me and see all Rollie, Penny and Conner not far behind.

“You can’t get away this time!” Those four men are already catching up. The fear floods me again, coercing me to run even faster. Everything else around me blurs, just running in the general direction to the town.

“Lechon!” Yogurt calls out, reminding me that I’m not the only one running. I look back to see that Salad has tripped, forcing Yogurt to stop to help him back on his feet. The four men are almost here.

I look at the object in my hand. A metal meat mallet. It will be effective enough to hold them off for a moment, just enough for Yogurt and Salad to get away. But I can barely move my feet, still frozen at the sight of those humans.

Can you even call them humans, knowing what their cult has done for their own desires?

“A freak like this can only be a Food Soul.”

“It won’t matter if you ‘die’ from starvation. You’ll just be summoned back.”

“You can go without food a little longer, you swine.”

I don’t… I don’t want to go back there… That horrible, horrible place…

But… I’ll be no better than them if I let them hurt my new companions!

One of the men reach for Salad and Yogurt, and my feet suddenly decide now to rush forward.

“Get away from them!” The mallet’s flat side comes smashing into the side of the man’s head, making a sickening cracking sound, and the aggressor falls to the dirt limply.

I am stunned at my own action, but it lingers too long because then I am grabbed from behind by two sets of hands, one which forces me to disarm.

“Stay there if you don’t want this hog to get hurt,” the third warns my friends. The piglets are snorting in protest, but one of the men twists at my arm back painfully, making me cry out. 

“This porky gained a few kilograms, I can actually feel muscle over bone,” one of them mocks. “What happened to that diet we had you on?”

“We’ll get it back on that once we return,” the leader tells them. “Of course the swine will pig out after all this time. It’s a greedy gobbler like the animal it is.”

No, I’m not like that! I will never be such a thing!

“What about this deadweight and these two?” the other lackey asks. Yogurt and Salad look even more scared than earlier.

“Eh, leave him. We’ll take the brat and goat back though.”

No! Not them! They shouldn’t be involved in this!

“We come all this way to try out the famous tavern in this town, and we find your Heaven Society men picking on an ordinary human with Food Souls.”

In my risen panic, I am unable to focus where that voice is coming from. The air becomes heavy with smoke, and I heard gagging and coughing from behind me. The two men release me and I stumble away.

There is a ringing in my ears as I fall to my knees from the released tension on me. I barely notice Salad and Yogurt and my piglets kneeling close to me.

“Peking Duck, this man is…”

“Who are you?” Yogurt demands, shielding me.

“We were here only for a meal, but we found something more prominent. I have been told about him through an acquaintance of mine. And given that the Heaven Society is here, it’s best to take this away from here.”

I feel the rest of my body function again, when I see a group of little, yellow birds. Ducklings?

“Lechon… we’ve found you.”


	3. Recall

“Lechon! It’s really you, Lechon!” Mandarin Squirrel Fish pounces the moment she sees me, crashing into me like my pigs will do. Her tears are already starting to soak into my shirt.

“Squirrely, you look a lot better than last time we saw each other.”

“Well, now that you three are in a better location, let’s get down to business,” the man with the fedora, Buddha’s Temptation, speaks up, sitting in one of the office chairs in the room. The mood in the room becomes serious. Yogurt and Salad are standing nearby, along with the “father” of the ducklings, Peking Duck. “Lechon, you can take the hat off now.”

“O-oh.” Right, my hat is still over my ears, surprisingly not moved during the incident only yesterday.

It feels… like I’m stepping into a vet’s office, being expose in front of so many people. Just something that will develop from hiding such parts of one’s identity. But I convince myself that I’m safe, and I oblige in removing the headwear and sitting down in a chair offered to me.

“Mandarin had given us descriptions of Food Souls imprisoned by the Heaven Society around when she was rescued,” the merchant starts. “You were among them, but not among those rescued thanks to the efforts of associates. These questions may be a bit painful, and you’re more than okay to refuse answering, but this is to bring down the organization who hurt you.”

I can only nod, trying to calm my nerves and hold Penny in my arms for comfort. 

“They didn’t hurt me… physically,” I get out.

“Your accent is different from those of Light Kingdom. Where do you come from?”

“My earliest memories say Sakurajima, a shrine in disrepair after a violent overthrow of the royals.”

“So they even went all the way to Sakurajima to kidnap Food Souls,” Peking Duck hisses in distaste. “And just after such an experience.”

“Were any others taken with you?” Buddha’s Temptation continues to question.

“No, it was just me,” I tell them. “I… I was sold as a captive of the coup leaders.”

“Sold for a profit… That’s a new low for those scum.” The last part is mumbled slightly, disgust evident in his voice. “How did you get away from Heaven Society if you weren’t in Imperial Beijing like the other captives?”

“Imperial Beijing? No, I remember being taken there. But I was under…” I bite my lip, and my stomach makes a violent growl, startling everyone. “No dinner. I was just closing when we were attacked. That’s normally when I eat the leftovers.”

“I remember now that you have a large appetite,” Mandarin Squirrel Fish chuckles. “You did eat a lot, and…” She falls silent, her face looking like she is thinking about something. “And then you suddenly disappeared.”

“That’s… Back to the earlier question. My memory blurs there, but I remember a rusting lock and an empty bowl on the ground, and the door suddenly open. After that, all I can remember is running for what seems like forever and then tumbling down a hill. Next thing I know, this old man, the previous tavern owner, is taking care of me like the three piglets he recently got.”

“Rollie, Penny and Conner?” Salad asks. I nod.

“And you’ve worked at the tavern ever since, spreading its name,” the merchant concludes. “What exactly did the Heaven Society want you for?”

“I’d… rather not say their means or reasons.”

“But one of them said… something about a diet?” Yogurt points out, remembering what one of those men have commented on.

“Um… I think I’ll feel better after a meal.”

No one questions, and Buddha’s Temptation simply takes in a breath from his cigar.

* * *

Potatoes are surely a blessing. So is rice. Starchy, but they’re filling. Egg fried rice, potato cakes, and sweet mochi for dessert.

Eat whatever and whenever I can. That thought used to run through me for time that I have lost track of during imprisonment.

“Hey now, the world isn’t ending or anything,” Mandarin Squirrel Fish jokes. “You don’t need to eat like a starved animal. At this rate, you may as grow the snout too.”

My spoon clatters to the table, and I feel my ears flatten against my head. The room goes quiet. I know that she’s joking, but it hurts to hear that phrase.

‘When’s the pig going to grow that snout?’ they will say when I’m finally allowed food.

‘A man with the ears and tail of a pig, but not the brains of one’ is another one.

‘We did get this one just so they could get rid of the dead weight of a hostage. It’s not like its powers are all that.’

“Lechon? Hey, Lechon!” Salad’s voice brings me back to the present.

“Oh, sorry. Did I worry you?”

“Lechon.” The voice of Buddha’s Temptation gets my attention, and he holds eye contact with me. “It’s clear that you put under a different sort of abuse than the Food Souls rescued. But as a hostage of a rebellion, you didn’t deserve what you went through. If you wish to go back to Sakurajima, I will take you there myself.

“Unless you want to stay here and continue to run the tavern. Where the Heaven Society will very likely return. It was pure luck that Peking Duck and I were there when they attacked.”

I don’t think I need to ponder twice over making that decision. If they will be waiting to just go back… Their abuse will very likely be worse.

“... Take me home. To the shrine.”


	4. Changes for the Same Home

The memory of a sea of pink raises to the surface of my mind, where it fits perfectly with the blooming cherry blossom trees on the cliffs of the islands. The sweet scent is carried on the wind that pushes the boat forward. The sky has never been clearer, pure bright blue and welcoming.

A tall temple towers above one of the larger islands, seeming to lay against the sky instead of reaching for it. A series of cheers and the echoes of drums can be heard from over here, and my ears perk from my confusion. I don’t remember any celebrations being allowed anywhere near the shrine, at least noisy ones like this.

Buddha’s Temptation’s boat touches down on the sand, and the anchor is put in place. Once the ramp is placed down, it takes a minute to let in that I’m finally home as my feet sink into the sand.

The three little piglets come running behind me. I don’t even look back at the ship before I take off towards the shrine. Where the princess, the Miko… I pray that she’s alright.

The last thing I expect to find is a sumo match in the middle of the town just outside the shrine. So that is where all the noise is coming from. And watching over the event, perched on an elevated throne, is the Miko herself. She looks just like I remember her, with her gorgeous hair in the royal hairdress and the Miko’s finest kimono.

I prepare to call out to her, but something jumps me from behind, and I fall onto the dirt. What is it with so many people or animals knocking me to the ground?

“Hey, you four, get off the poor man!” A woman’s voice, like the voice of a pushy big sister, is what gets whatever just tackled me to get off of my back. To my surprise, it’s four pigs, pinker and slightly bigger than my own little friends. A brunette woman and a man with a scar over his right eye come running up to me.

“I’m sorry about these four. When they saw your companions, they couldn’t help themselves.”

“You sure they just didn’t want these?” I hold up the bag of daikon I always carry with me. Instantly, all seven pigs are surrounding me, though they’re waiting patiently to my relief.

“You seem familiar, now that I’m getting a better look at you,” the man points out. “You wouldn’t happen to be… an attendant of the Miko, would you?”

“I a- Well, I was… before the coup,” I admit. “I just got back home after all this time. I’m a little lost as to what happened in my absence.”

The two look at each other, as if unsure of what to say and so they converse with only their expressions. Squint here, shake of the head there, until they finally look back at me.

“We can say for sure that the Miko is doing her best to piece the shrine and this town back together,” the woman states. “This is the annual charity event to help raise money for further repairs on the shrine.”

“So what do you two do?”

“First of all, you get off the ground first and stop tempting the porkies to a radish feast,” the scarred man jokes. Realizing that I’m still sitting on the ground, I stand up and dust myself down before tossing some daikon for the pigs. They start eating them ravenously.

“To answer your question, I run the local ramen shop and he’s one of my employees,” the brunette replies. “Now if only he won’t drink away whenever he’s on break.” She sends a scary glare the man’s way, but I’m the one who flinches.

“Lechon, at least let us say goodbye before you run off!” Oh, I have forgotten that Mandarin Squirrel Fish has come with us, so she can spend just a little more time with me before parting ways. The little girl practically almost runs me over once again, as she tackles me with another hug.

“Sorry about that, Squirrely. I was just very relieved to finally be home again.”

“And you’re staying here, aren’t you?” she asks with a sad look in her eyes. “We had only met again recently, and you’re already leaving.”

“This is where I belong. It’s where I’m from and where my princess is. I wish to stay. Even if it was just a visit, it would’ve made the trip here a waste.” My stomach suddenly growls, earning a giggle from the ginger.

“Hungry fellow, aren’t you?” the woman chuckles. “Just like your own little litter. Since it’s the day of charity, why don’t you come by my shop for a bite for free?”

“Are you sure we can take such an offer?”

“I’m the boss so if I say it’s on me, I mean it. Invite everyone who came with you, if you’d like.”

* * *

The ramen shop sure is a lively space, with delicious, mouth-watering noodles with the perfect blend of spice and salt. It reminds me so much of the tavern back in the Light Kingdom. How I wish I can know the blend used for the broth.

Then it hit my tongue. The cannibalism in this building…!

“Is something wrong?” The owner- Tonkotsu Ramen her name being- seems to have noticed my reaction.

“Are you trying to make me commit cannibalism?!”

“Uh, what do you mean by that?”

“There’s pork in the broth! And bacon powder! And you serve this to me?!”

“Don’t tell me you’re a religious person.”

“I can assure you that I have nothing against any sort of religious practice, but I refuse to eat anything that will make me look like I want to devour such cute animals!”

“Ah, so it’s more along the lines that you don’t eat any products for a more personal reason. You could have said that and not blow up in my face. If I had known in the first place, I would’ve served you something else.”

I can’t help but look away, realizing that I am attracting a crowd with my outburst.

“Sorry.” How embarrassing.

The owner just takes it with a laugh, probably seeing my face go red at that realization.


	5. Lechon Bio 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I have finally finished this! I am so sorry for how long this took! I had the worst writer's block for this! Hopefully, it successfully expands the Food Fantasy universe with these new characters.

Meanwhile, in Light Kingdom, a group of cloaked people gather in the outskirts.

“The pig is farther from the pen, out of reach now, thanks to that Buddhist’s Temptation.”

“You fools! This is why I ordered you not to postpone capturing that swine!”

“It’s not like it was a useful Food Soul anyway. Who would want to buy or form a contract with a weakling like that one?”

“Which is why we had the swine on that diet, to draw out whatever energy could surface once it’s not saturated by overconsumption!”

“Idiots!” One of the cloaked figures comes forth, a mask shaped like a cross of a bear and a stag on over their face. “The diet was to strain out any energy that pig could have! Even the littlest bit of its soul power could prove beneficial in forcing Food Souls into contracts.”

“So it was more of a guinea pig for extracting soul power?”

“It was supposed to be. Although seen as weak, that Food Soul has a connection with other organisms and has potential to tap into its real power. That’s why it was necessary to starve it so that its powers would surface. To use that power on itself. But then that traitor sprung it loose before any results could be achieved. He was dealt with accordingly.”

“To think the old man even had the audacity to pull such treachery and hide himself and that swine from us for months. His punishment was too forgiving, if you ask me.”

“No matter,” the masked one states. “It will be a matter of time before we can reclaim our most prominent project. And once we do and unlock whatever power it has, Tierra will bow to our new world order.”

* * *

“Miko? Princess?” The golden eyes of Osechi fall onto a visitor who has come to the temple, nerves on high judging by the expression on his face. The bright eyes and the trademark ears of this goateed man brings up a person in her memory.

“You… you were a Food Soul of one of my attendants who were lost in the coup.”

“Yes, Princess. I have returned after all this time. I only got through the pain by thinking of returning home.”

“After all this time… a hostage… It’s good to see you are doing well, Lechon.”

“You remember my name?”

“Of course. I asked your Master Attendant about you once when you were absent for a time. She said you don’t give yourself enough credit despite your faith.”

The man’s tan face reddens from the words, and he runs a hand over one of his ears.

“That’s quite embarrassing, Princess.”

Osechi’s muffled chuckle brings him back to focus.

“Will you be returning to work in the temple as your Master Attendant had, Lechon?”

“Forgive me, Princess, but I have already promised service in town. A shop owner had asked for my employment, and she’s been treating me well. As long as she doesn’t feed me pig based food, we get along fine.”

The smile of Osechi brings a feeling of relief to Lechon.

“You’ve been gone for so long, yet your kindness has not changed. I don’t mind you working anywhere else, as long as I am kept informed of your health. I will expect letters from you this point forward. Am I clear, Lechon?”

“Y-yes, Miko!”

* * *

Lechon wonders who this white haired man with the large ball in his hands could be. Tonkotsu Ramen and even Unadon are chatting excitedly with this stranger, but Lechon himself feels uncomfortable.

“Lechon, you’re back from meeting with the princess already?” His boss notices him by the squeal of Conner as the piglet runs up to his owner.

“I see this is where I must go for now,” the white-haired man announces. “Do take care.” The man starts walking away with no stiffness in his steps.

“Tonkotsu Ramen, may I ask who that man was?” Lechon asks.

“He’s a very old friend, piglet. Very old.” The new employee is about to ask what she means when his stomach growls. The shop owner laughs. “And that’s our queue for lunch break.”

Lechon forgets about the encounter, just to get his stomach’s worth of warm noodles and broth (not pork flavored, thank you.)


End file.
